


so while the sun's still setting

by Fluffifullness



Category: Free!
Genre: Beaches, Birthday, Birthday Party, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 22:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1049476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffifullness/pseuds/Fluffifullness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’ll have to come up with a way to thank them properly,” Makoto muses.<br/>“Idiot, you don’t have to do that,” Haru retorts. “I just said it was fun for all of us, anyway.”<br/>“Haru, too?”<br/>“Idiot...”<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	so while the sun's still setting

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write Mako-chan some birthday fluff, after all! ^^;

Makoto breathes deep and slow as his expression slips naturally into a content smile. The slight give of dry sand beneath his feet, the warmth and glow of the setting sun, and – well, the whisper of waves rushing in and out might bother him if it weren’t for the added comfort of Haru’s hand in his own.

“Makoto.”

“Hm?” Makoto slows to glance down at his friend; Haru’s grip on his longer fingers tightens slightly, but he doesn’t look up to return the gaze. “Is something wrong?”

“Sorry about before…”

“Oh, that,” Makoto chuckles. “It’s fine. I had a lot of fun.”

He’d also shouted rather impressively and ducked behind Haru when everyone leapt out of their hiding places to surprise him. It had taken quite a bit of goading – and an unnecessarily intense flurry of apologies – to calm him down after that, but as soon as he’d realized what was actually going on, he’d had to deal with an entirely different rush of emotion.

_“Thanks… Everyone, thank you…”_

He’d been thinking that Haru, at least, might be up to something, but even Haru is usually easier to read than that. He’s been careful about how he looks at Makoto today – and, as embarrassing as it sounds, that cold secrecy has had Makoto worrying his way through hours of school. It wasn’t that he was afraid of having his birthday forgotten or anything like that, but what if he’d done something to upset Haru? He hadn’t been expecting anything in particular, but lots of what he looks forward to on special days like this involves his best friend. The last thing he ever wants is to fight with him.

_Haru nudges him gently to get his attention away from the bustling sound and energy of the other three. He looks like he doesn’t want to say whatever it is loud enough for everyone to hear, so Makoto leans close to listen._

_“You aren’t still upset, are you?”_

_Makoto blinks and ducks to hide the red in his cheeks. “I was worrying too much…”_

_“I wanted to pretend to be sick or something, instead,” Haru mutters._

_Makoto blushes more at that, but he doesn’t get a chance to respond before Rin cuts in._

_“You didn’t think we’d forget, did you?” he questions Makoto, looking almost as sulky as ever save for the barest hint of a warm smile. Makoto understands; Rin’s not always very personable, but he’s by no means a bad guy._

_“It would have been fine either way,” he answers, suddenly shy, “but – no, I don’t think so… Except that I_ was _surprised, really.”_

_“I tried to tell them not to jump out like that,” Rei points out. “Nagisa-kun just wouldn’t give up on the idea.”_

_Nagisa tries to feign a pout and winds up laughing instead. “Rei-chan, not fair! You were the loudest one!”_

_“I – I was not!”_

_Makoto’s about to interrupt their argument before it can get out of hand, but Haru surprises him again._

_“You two, knock it off.”_

_“But Rei-chan –”_

_“Eat your cake,” Haru cuts Nagisa off again, blue eyes glinting with determination._

_“Haru…”_

_Haru turns to Makoto with a faint smile. “You, too – it’s yours, so you should be the first one to try it.”_

_A chorus of voices chimes in to agree, and Makoto fidgets awkwardly before accepting a plate from Nagisa. The blonde grins cheerily up at him, and Makoto feels his face heating up yet again. His eyes are repeatedly drawn to the untouched chocolate ornament in the center of the pastry; it looks just like a heart at a glance, but a little further inspection reveals that it’s actually an orca meeting a dolphin mid-leap._

_It almost looks like they’re… kissing…_

_He can’t quite bring himself to ask whose idea that was, but he has a lingering feeling that it was probably Nagisa. Not that it doesn’t make him happy, of course – but it’s really embarrassing, and they haven’t_ exactly _told any of the others where their relationship actually stands –_

_“Mako-chan~!” Nagisa sing-songs._

_“Eh? Ah, sorry, I was just –”_

_“Glad you like it,” Rin says with a half-teasing grin, nodding at the sea creatures in miniature. “You and Haru can share it later, so try to focus on this part first.”_

_“Aw, but Rei-chan and I were going to have some, too!”_

_“Nagisa-kun!” Rei scolds immediately. “That’s not what we decided on!”_

_“But Haru-chan doesn’t mind! Right, Haru-chan?”_

_“Makoto gets to decide,” Haru responds immediately, no hesitation._

_“Then, Mako – um, Mako-chan?”_

_“Ah, this – I’m just,” Makoto laughs and swipes at his eyes with the back of his free hand. His whole face and neck are probably red at this point. “Thanks. I’m kinda embarrassed, but – how should I put this…”_

_“He can’t wait to share that part with me,” Haru surmises blandly; Makoto doesn’t miss the quick victorious spark in his eyes._

_Rei nods. “So there you have it, Nagisa-kun.”_

From there, they moved on to old stories and new ones, guesses about what the future might hold and bad jokes. Nagisa and Rei argued a bunch, Rin mentioned his kohai who hadn’t been able to make it to meet Makoto – and Haru, he’d watched Makoto through most of the talk. Makoto returned the gaze as often as he could, but even when he wasn’t looking he felt the weight of Haru’s eyes on him.

It’s the most Haru’s smiled in a long time – which, all things considered, is saying something.

“You and Rin were getting along well,” Makoto recalls with a happy grin. “And Rin and Rei. Sometimes it’s like he never left, isn’t it?”

Haru purses his lips and looks away from Makoto – down the sweep of beach and on toward the start of the water behind them. He looks annoyed, but when he speaks his tone is almost as warm as Makoto’s. “Mm. Everyone was excited about planning it, too.”

“I’ll have to come up with a way to thank them properly,” Makoto muses.

“Idiot, you don’t have to do that,” Haru retorts. “I just said it was fun for all of us, anyway.”

“Haru, too?”

“Idiot…”

Makoto grins in spite of himself. “Thank you. It’s been one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had, Haru, really.”

Haru nods and finally turns to look at Makoto; even stops walking, so Makoto has to do the same to avoid letting go of Haru’s hand. “You didn’t have to compensate or anything. I’d have walked with you anywhere else.”

“Oh, the beach…” Makoto chuckles. “It was just a passing fancy, I guess.”

“I don’t think so.”

Makoto laughs again, now more nervous than taken aback. He can tell that Haru has no idea what the reasoning behind this is, but he’s not likely to give up until he does.

“Well, I was thinking,” he sighs, “the beach is one of Haru’s favorite places, so – well, I wasn’t sure I could ask you for anything extra, anyway –”

“You can,” Haru interrupts. “I’ll even skip swimming for a day!”

He says that last part with such a determined, self-sacrificing look on his face that Makoto can’t help but laugh out loud. “Just a day?”

“T-two days!”

Makoto’s grin widens. “That’s not it,” he reassures his friend. “I like swimming with you, too; of course I’d never ask you to stop.”

Haru lets his held breath go – relieved despite how he tries to hide it. “Then?”

“You can say no,” Makoto qualifies. “It’s fine if you don’t want to.”

_“Makoto.” Get to the point._

“C-could you kiss me?”

Haru’s eyes widen slightly, but he doesn’t flinch or run away. Makoto considers that a blessing, covers his mouth with the palm of his hand and tries to focus on breathing. “Sorry if it’s too soon –”

Haru laughs.

He _laughs,_ quiet and gentle and bubbly. “You should’ve just said so.”

“So – even if it’s here?”

“Here’s fine,” Haru shrugs. “Except that you chose it to make me happy. It’s supposed to be for _you._ ”

“But I –”

Haru shushes him and steps close enough that Makoto can feel the glow of his warmth through his T-shirt – his jacket, even. He traces the curve of Makoto’s jaw with just a few fingers first; the touch sparks a shiver in Makoto that runs up and down and back again.

“Cold?”

“Mm-mm,” Makoto squeaks, not trusting himself to speak. He bows his head because he’s embarrassed, but Haru uses it as an opportunity to lean up and in.

“I think you’re supposed to close your eyes…”

“Ah – okay,” Makoto stammers, immediately doing as he’s told.

“Relax,” Haru reminds him.

And then their noses brush and Makoto can feel Haru’s breath tickling his cheek – and then his lips, they’re soft and they feel golden, not blue like he’d thought they’d be but warm and graceful even without any motion. Makoto’s still trying to figure out where to put his hands when Haru’s find their way to his hair and settle there, palms flat and fingers splayed. The shorter boy uses them to guide Makoto deeper, deeper…

He comes up gasping.

“Was it too much?” Haru worries. “Sorry, I –”

“No, Haru, it was – thank you,” he cries, immediately throwing his arms around Haru’s smaller frame. “You’re really good at it…”

Surprisingly enough, Haru doesn’t shy away from the sudden embrace. “Okay…” he mumbles, sounding more relieved than he has a right to be.

Neither says anything for what must be a long time, but the sun is still up – getting lower, lighting up the sand and water and Haru – when Makoto finally lets go and takes a single step back. Haru mirrors that motion, his eyes wide and curious.

“…”

“Let’s head back,” Makoto suggests. “The chocolate will probably taste better fresh, right?”


End file.
